Bottle rinsing and outside-brushing conveyer.



" G. J. MEYER.

BOTTLE RINSING AND OUTSIDE BRUSHING CONVEYER.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

APPLICATION FXLED APILB, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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BOTTLE RINSING AND OUTSIDE BRUSHING CONVEYER4 v APPLICATION FILED APR. II, 1910.

Patented sept.29,1914.

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BOTTLE RINSING AND OUTSIDE BRUSHING CONVBYER. APPLICATION ruw APR. .a 1910.

1,1 1 1,756. Patented sept. 29, 1914.

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G. J. MEYER.

BOTTLE RINSING AND OUTSIDE BHUSHING CONVEYER.

APPLICA''lON FILED APRV 8, 1910, 1,1 1 1,756.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914 4 SHEETSISHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

GEORGE J. MEYER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

BOTTLE RINSING AND OUTSIDE-BRUSHING CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 8, 1910.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914. Serial No. 554,2904

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Gnoiion J. MEYER, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented a Bottle Rinsing and Outside-Brushing Conveyer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for cleansing bottles, andrin. particular to'tliat part of a bottlecleanihgplntfwhich rinses the bottles internally and externally after they have been soaked and at the saine time brushes them externally; so preparing them for the inside brushing and rinsing. l

In general the present apparatus com- I prises as its principal features a tank containing water, a set of slideways dipping! thereinto with a coni eyer for pushing the bottles along them, a set of rollers which are interposed in aiif forni a part of said slideways, together with means for rotating all of said rollers in the same direction and thereby producing a rotative movement in each bottle about its longitudinal axis, whereby the water which enters the bottl'e is caused to successively reach every part of its surface; and in addition to this I provide exterior brushes which act' in conjunction with said rollers to brush successively each portion of the outside surface of the bottle, thereby cleansing the latter from adhering particles of dirt, paper, or the cleaningsolution which has been used in the previous process.

My invention fui-ther consists in the con structions and combinations which will be hereinafter more fully set forth and described in my claims.

The nature of my invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyx ing drawings which show the most improved form thereof, and herein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete machine constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof the same; Fig. 4

of; Fig. 3 is a Y delivery-end of the plan view r is anend view from the y machine; Figs. 5 and (i are vertical trans-- verse sections taken on the planes 5 and (S respectively of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse section on an enlarged scale glowing construction of the pushing-bar;

'g'. 8 is a'transverse section through the 2 latter on the plane 8 showing a bottle in p i u1 therein; Fig. 9 is a plan view of a l portion of the saine l lan-section of Fig. 10 a longitudi` nal the same on the axis of f the ottle; Fig. 1l shows the construction,

iof. the gearing for driving the rollers; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary elevation of the driving gear for the brushes showing the means for adjusting the latter for the different sizes of bottles.

In those drawings every refernce letter and numeral refers always to the saine part.

lA shallow tank A is mounted upon legs a or other suitable means of support, and carries upon each end pulley-brackets di', a3, which support the journals of shafts B, C, each extending across one end of the tank and carrying a air of sprocket-pulleys o', c, around which) pass a pair of chains D which are connected at intervals by the bottle-pushers E secured to links of said chains; the arrangement being such that one lap of the conveyer passes above the tank and through the liquid contained therein, and the other below the tank. The conveyer is driven by a drivinggeai' c2 on the shaft C which is at the deli\eiy-end of the machine,

and to prevent the upper lap of the chain being pulled straight and so raised above the level of the water in the tank a pair of curved guides d are placed immediately over each chain at the infeedcnd of the ma clzine and another pair d2 at the delivery end.

The tank is filled with water by means of a. supply/pipe F which enters the tank at f2 through a valve f. and at the opposite side is located the drain-pipe G, the upper end of which is provided with a \vasteweir g opening at the water-level, and near the bottom of the tank is a branch or bypass g2 which is kept normally closed by a valve g3 and serves to drain the tank when it is desired to remove the water therefrom for the purpose of clear ing orfrepairs. This is also assisted by hand-holes n.4 in each side of the tank,.which are closed by covers a; but the latterare not .essential to my invention.

Across thc open top of the tank is disposed a platform having slideways over which the bottles are pushed, and said platform is made inl three parts, to wit: beginning at the iiifecd-end, a series of parallel senii-eylindrical bars H, which are longitudinally concave as shown in Fig. 2, the upper end being pitched at a downward angle and sloping into the tank, while the lower end is pitched slightly upward and is below thc yatcr level u. a distance sufficient to halfesubnicrgc the bottle, which rests longitudinally between two adjacent bars and ons movement of the pusher-bars E.

is delivered thereto heel-foremost. The second or middle part of the aforesaid pla-tiorm comprises a series of rollers I which are continuous und codiarnetral with the bars H and are provided at their ends with gudgeons z" journaled in bearings J, which are carried u 0n a pair of transverse beams j' Supported by the ends of the tank or otherwise. These rollers are kept in 4continuous rotation all in the same direction by a drivin -shaft K carrying a set ot' spiralgears keyed thereon, each meshing with a corresponding spiral-gear k2 on the shaft or idgeon z" at t e head-end of each roller, which latter is keyed to said shaft or gudgeon bye transverse pin 2 or like device. The spiral ears .70 may be secured against endwise shi ing upon the shaft K byv providing their keys k3 with projecting snugs lo* at the thrust-side of the gear. The shaft K is supported at .its ends and intermediately by journals la, la, k through one of which the shaft passes and extends beyond it and car ries a sprocket-pinion M, which is driven by a chain N asslng over a sprocketwheel O on the sha B.

The third 'un ot the aforementioned platform comprises a second series of semicy'lindrical bars l" which are codiarnetral ai'id continuous with the several rollers l and at'the ends of the la tter, whereby the bottles readily' pass from the interspaces between the rollers to those between the bars P as they are pushed thereupon by the continu These bars l? are sloped upwardly so as to convey the bottles out of' the water in the tank and at the Same time tilt them neck-downward so that all the Water that happens to be therein will run out. Above the end of the end or delivery section of the platform is mounted a tray Q upon brackets Q for receiving the hotties as fast as they are removed troni the platform.

The construction of the nushenbar E is illustrated in detail in Figs. i to l0 inclusive. It comprises a transverse anglebar e which actsas a base and support and is secured to the links of the chain D, and a series of double socket-castings e2, each socket ot which is scoopshaped and provided with a downwardly and forwardly projecting nose es which lills the spandrel between two adjacent rollers or barsof the platform. These socket castings e2 are serured to the upright ilange of the englobar c' by bolts e* passing through holes e6 in the castings; each bolt being located at the center of a Cuautlar reand havingr a rounded projecting head bottles are delivered, er. onto the inA cess e9 1% Now when the either by hund or a convey( l clined bars H, they slide down these. bars ahead of the pusher and come to rest on the rollers l, the necks of the bottle in most ot the usual shapes lzeiog sutiicient to oven balance the body so that the neck inclines' downwardly. While in this position the bot-- tiles become partially filled with Water, and subsequently the next following pusher E reaches them and the projecting nose e3 thereof raises up the mouth of each bottle and places it in the center of the recess e", so that the spherical head es of the bolt e4 enters the mouth thereof. Now said recess e* and head e are )referably so placed as to raise the mouth oi the bottle sufliciently to tilt the bottle upward until it rests upon its bottom edge only, in addition to the support provided by the head es, which thus acts as a pivot upon which the bottle turns and keeps it in alinement with the rollers and direction of movement.

To revent bottles from becoming broken bv striking the rear edge of the angle-bar e y when they slide down the inclines H, a Wooden fender-strip es is secured to the latter by bolts e7, projecting slightly beyond the edge of the angle-bar.

1When the bottles after sliding down the inclined bars H reach the rollers l, they are set in rapid rotation about their longitudinal axes, so that the Water rinses them inside and out and loosens any of the solid particles which may remain inside of the bottles. They are then taken up by the next following pusher E in the manner aforesaid and carried onto the bars P, in which position they are tilted neck downward so that all the water and solid particles which have been loosened up run out, and as the bottles reach the delivery end of the inachinc they are lifted out bv the operatives heel-first and any remaining water thus di aiued from them, and thence placed upon a tray Q, Where they are 'further drained aud from which they are removed to the inside brushing-machine.

Althoueh the rolling movement of the botiles itsel Y serves to rinse the outside to a certain extent, I prefer to provide additional means for outside cleaning in the form of a puirot rotary brushes S. T, which are mounted upon shafts' s', i', iournaled in vertically sliding bearing-blocks si', 2,which slide in slots u, o2, in a pair of end-frames U mounted on the sides of the tank. Said. bearing-blocks s?, t2, are supported and adjusted vertically by nieaus of screw-stems y f3, secured thereto and provided with hand nuts s", t, b v revolving which the bearing-blocks and hence the sl'mtis are raifcd or lowered in the manner shown in lfil". l2. thus permitting' the brushes to he adjusted to different sizes of bottles. Said brushes are rotated by a gearing comprising sprorlfj-t-wheels a5. 15, on their respective shafts s f. a sprocketovhocl V on the shaft K, and u (bain fr' pa i t; over all three lln o to provide for the fontiiuuuls and @oraal tension ot the chain o under different adjustments of the brushes I arrange upon one lap of the chain, lying between the sprocket-wheels V and 85, an idle sprocket-wheel which is pivoted upon a pin u" carried by a lever @U2 pivoted at u upon the framework or side of the tank, said lever 'm2 having an angular-extension 104 carrying a weight 105 so placed as to act to rotate the lever wz in a direction toward the chain. thus keeping the sprocketwheel lV continuously pressed thereagainst with an even pressure, independently of the positions of the brushes. as indicated by the full and dotted-line positions of said lever and sprocket-wheel. The weight may be shifted or increased or diminished according to the tension desired.

As the bottles are carried along the platform and partly immersed in the water in the tank they are brushed over longitudinally by the two brushes at the same time that they are being rotated by the rollers I so that every part of the lettering or other irregular surfaces of the outer surface is brushed. Further, in order to facilitate the Washing-ofi' of any adherent particles as well as to constantly renew the water in the tank, I provide a water-supply in the form of a pair of spray-pipes X which extend parallel with the brushes and immediately over them and are perforated by sinall holes and connected through branch-pipes ai', :02, and valves ma to the watermain F; the eX- cess ot' water drains out through the waste weir y', thus keeping the level constant. To prevent undue Scattering of the water a hood or cover Y is placed over the brushes, secured to the end-plates or frames Uland having in the middle a door y hinged at y2 to one of two angle-plates .1/3 lon the edge ofi the fixed portion of the hood, said door being provided with handles y* whereby it can bevopcned and the interior inspected. The bottle conveyer moves in the directlon titille; arrow seen in Fig'. 1.

Various changes and modifications in the constructions as herein shown may be made without departinfzf from the spirit ot' my invention, and l wish it understood therefore that the latter is not otherwise limited than by the proper scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination ot' a runway for bottles, means for rotating bottles on said ruuway by frictional contact, and a movable center-support for thc mouth-end of said bottles consisting of a scoopfshaped block adapted to receive and center thc mouth of a bottle and act as a pivot about which it turns.

2. The combination ot a runway for bottles, means t'or rotating bottles on said runway by frictional contact, aud a movable center-support for the mouth-end of said bottles consisting of a scoop-shaped block adapted to receive and center the mouth of a.bottle and act as a pivot about which it turns, said scoop-shaped block being open at the top, in conjunction with means for advancing said block parallel to said runway and frietional cleaning-means located above said runway and adapted to contact with the surface of the bottle as it passes along said runway.

8. The combination of a plurality of parallel cylindrical rollers in the -spandrels between which bottles are adapted to rest, having their axes parallel thereto, means for rotating said rollers in the same direc tion so as frictionally to give a rotative movement to said bottles, a member carrying a plurality of scoop-shaped blocks pro jecting into said spandrels, and each adapted to pick up the mouth of a bottle presented to it and support it above the level which it `would otherwise occupy whereby its Lipper surface is approximately on a level with that ot the body of the bottle, means for advancing said member so as to move said bottles longitudinally along said rollers in advance of said member, and means immediately over said bottles adapted to brush them as they move along said rollers` 4. The combination of a plurality of parallel cylindrical rollers in the spendi-els between which bottles are adapted to rest having their axes parallel thereto, means for rotating said rollers in the same direction so as frictionally to give a rotative movement to said bottles, a member carrying a plurality ot' scoop-shaped blocks projectin into said spandrels and each adapted to pic up the'mouth of a bottle presented to it and support it above the level which it would otherwise occupy whereby its upper surface is approximately on a level with that of the body of the bottle, means for advancing said member so as to move said bottles longitudinally along said rollers in advance of said member, and means for supporting a liquid around said bottles when in said runway, in such position that the surface of said liquid passes through said bottles.

The combination of a runway for bottles, means for rotating bottles on said runway by frictional contact, and a movable center-support for the mouth-end of said bottles consisting of a scoop-shaped block adapted to receive and center the mouth of a bottle, said block having a circular recess into which the mouth of the bottle fits and a projection in the center of said recess adapted to enter the mouth of the bottle and Aform a pivotal center therefor.

(i. The combination of a runway for bottles, means for rotating bottles on said runway by frictional contact, a movable center`- support for the mouth-end of said bottles,

consisting of a scoop-shaped block adapted a pivotal center for the rotation of he 1f to receive and center the mouth of a bottle, bottle.

said blockhaving a circular recess into In witness whereof have hereunto set which the mouth of the bottle fits, a memmy hand this 25th dey of March, WUR

ber to which said block is secured, and si Y v holt securing said block to said member, said CRO J 'LE i RR bolt having a head which projects concen- Witnesses: trically Within said recess und is adapted JAS. L. WERNER., to enter the mouth of the bottle and form GEORGE W. Coli/LES. 

